Method and appliance for separating laminated and fibrous minerals.



of L. PERKINS METHOD AND APPLIANCE FOR SEPARATING LAMINATED AND FIBROUS MINERALS.-

' APPLICATION man FEB. 10. 15m

1,243,6 1 Patented 0%.169'1917.

INVENTQR WITNESSES products, by the use 01? s thin jet rrrursn t s P" he (ELEMENT IA. 1ERKINS, 9TE P1TT$BURGH, PENNSYLVENIA, ASSZECTITQEZ T43 LIIQLA 3E. 'WATBGN, 70F BQSFITGN, MASSAQHUSETTS.

szun APPLIANCE F03 SEPABJATING LAMIIEATED AND EZERQUS MHlEEtJ-ll-S.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got, it", ltlllh Application filed February 16, 191?. Serial Zto. 1423856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CLEMENT L. Psnnms, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have 5 invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods and Appliances for Ecnerating Laminated and Fibrous Minerals, of which the following is s specification.

This invention relates to a method and 1G appliance for rifting, separating, splitting and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and mineral products, such as mica, asbestoe, and other similar minerals or products thereof, and for removing Whole or broken.

sheets, films, scales or fishes therefrom.

The object of the invention is to provide method and appliance for the purpose above stated which is simple, cilective and rapid in its action, and which provides a more scientific, accurate and economical Way of preparing such laminated and fibrous Inaterial and products, and which will produce a product or products of superior quality of finish, With less Waste, and more economi- 525 cslly than heretofore possible.

so lialres from the surface cl mics sheets or lamina; and preparing the some for use, and hence the invention will be particularly de-- scribed. for such use, but it will be understood that it is adapted for use in connection to with any laminated and fibrous minerals or products thereof.

-Briefly stated, the invention consists in rifting, separating, splitting and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and mineral of compre sed fluid directed against the of the piece to he rifted, separated, split or scaled, at the point of desired cleavage, to open up the laminae, and then directing the fluid between the laminae and fibers to com plete' the separation thereof. The compressed fluid may he of any character, either gaseous (Which comprises sir), vaporous,'

such as steam, or liquid, but preferably will be compressed air, andin this specification the'invention will be described particularly in connection with the use of compressed. air as the separating fluid, but it will be understood that the invention not limited as to the particular kind of fluid used.

Heretofore the customary practice in rifting, separating, splitting and scaling rnica into sheets, films, or scales of varying thickness, has been by the use of wedges, knife blades, and various other more Or less sharp or pointed implements and usually 1nanipulated by hand. These prior methods have not only been slow, tedious, and therefore uneconomical, but they have been very wasteful, requiring a high degree of skill on the part of the operator, and even then resulting in a large percentage of sheets, films, scales or laminae which either broken or too thin to meet the standard requirements, and have also resulted injury to the sheets, 76 films or scales :t'rorn mechanical contact therewith of the point of the instrument I, used, resulting in tearing and breaking the sheets, films, scales or flakes and also scratching the surface or surfaces thereof and otherwise injuring it and leading to the destruction and loss of large quantities of the material, or at least reducing its quality" so that it is less valuable and not useful for purposes where mice of superior quality is 89 necessary. The prior methods have also resulted in sir blisters, vsves, bends, cracks, etc, in the sheets, films or scales, and otherwise injured the some so that it was no longer acceptable as product oi superior quality,

For certain purposes, such as in scientific, mechanical and electrical instruments and cpuliances, :1 very ugh standard of quality and perfection of condition. of the mica is 96 necessary, and it is also necessary that the sheets, films, scales or laminae should he of a specified thickness, and of'ttimes mothematicelly accurate. By themethods hereused, the production of such insthenmticnlly correct mice of superior quality has been very diliicult and expensive, and only e very small percentage of the sheets, films, scales. flakes, or laminae, meet the exacting standards.

Attempts have also been heretofore made to separate the laminae of mica by means ct mechanical devices or machines, but these have been no more e ective than the hand methods above described and have not produced product of even as great a degree of accuracy or of as good quality as is produced by the hand niethods and besides they have been quite complicated in construction and their operation has tween subject to many dif fiepltics, notably that of maintaining the block of mica in such position as to be separated into sheets or lannnaol' the required thickness and so as to produce smooth sheets,

.ticient superior quality and ot sutlicie'n' 'ly accurate gage to 'meet the tions.

Bymeans of the method and appliance forming the subject of this invention, the above dilliculties are largely overcome, and by means thereot mica sheets. lihns, scales and flakes of superior quality and of required thickness can be produced to a much higherpercentage than with the old proccss and with greater facility and at less cost. By means of the method and appliance, the

red n'ed condiremoval of broken scales from the surface of I sheets, films and flakes can also be accom plished in a small fraction of time as compared with other methods and without liability of injuring the surface of the sheet, film, scale or flake.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a view of one form of the instrument to be used for rifting, separating, splitting or scaling the mica; Fig. l is a. transverse section thereof on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is aview illustrating the method of using the implement in carrying out the method.

In the form in which illustrated, the implement described comprises a thin blade 1, preferably having a pointed thin, knife-like end 2, and being provided with a passage.

therethrough, terminating in a narrow slit or discharge orifice 3 in the end of the implement, and adapted to be connected to any suitable source of fluid pressure, such as by means of hose 4. The form and dimensions of the implement can be varied considerably, depending upon the character of the Work to be done. For instance, for rifting or for splitting thick masses of mica, as at the mines, the implement can be large and chisel or Wedge shaped, whereas, for separating a small block or an already fairly thin sheet of mica into thin sheets, films. or scales, the implement must be smaller so it can be more easily manipulated, and will be relatively very thin at its discharge end, so that it can be inserted between the laminae of the mica as they are opened up by the compressed fluid.

The degree of fluid pressure will also be varied according to the work to be done, a heavier pressure being permissible in separating thick blocks or thick sheets, than for separating thin sheets, films, scales or flakes. The air pressure can be regulated by any well known device for this purpose, such as reducing valves, and any suitable source of fluid pressure can be utilized.

In the p notice of the process, the thin flat jet of compressed fluid is directed against the edge of the mica block, sheet, lilm or scale, at the point where the cleavage is desired, thus causing the laminae to separate at that. point, and permitting the end of the instrument to be introduced between the already separated laminae to separate them by this flat jet of compressed fluid, farther and farther until'the separation extends over the entire area of the block, sheet, film or scale. This process can be worked in many different ways. For instance, the block or sheet otmica, such as shown at 5, can be held in one hand, and the implement 1 can be held in the other hand, but if desired the block or sheet of mica can be supported in a fixed or stationary position and the implement guided in proper relation thereto either by hand or by any suitable mechanical appliance, or the instrument can be supported in fixed position and the block or sheet of mica guided in proper relation thereto either by hand or by a suitable mechanical appliance.

The separation of the laminae is effected entirely by directing the thin flat jet of air or other compressed fluid against the edge of the mica block, sheet, film or scale, at the desired point, which opens up the laminae at the proper place, and the separation is accomplished entirely by the entering stream of air. Separation by this method is very rapid, and very seldom results in breaking the laminae, films or scales, and inasmuch as the implement need not come in contact with the laminae, except at the pointof entrance, scratching, air blistering and other injury to the surfaceof or in thelaminae is practically obviated. In case any of the laminae, films or scales should break they can be instantly removed by directing the jet of air to the proper point. ,By this method the wastage is very greatly reduced as compared Withprior methods, and sheets, films, scales or flakes of very minute thickness can be readily produced, and said sheets. films, scales or flakes can be produced of more uniform-thickness, and a larger per centage of sheets, films, scalesor flakes of superior quality can be produced than with the old methods.

In the claims the term separating isintended to include the rifting, splitting," or any other separation of laminated or fibrous minerals and mineral products, whether it be the separation of a thick block into thinner blocks, or the separation of blocks into relatively thick sheets, or the separation of laminae into thinner sheets, films, scales or flakes. The term scaling is intended to include the removal from a sheet, film, scale or flake, of any Whole or broken or injured scale or laminae. The term compressed fluid is intended to include any fluid' agent, Whether gaseous, vaporous, or liquid, under sufiicient compression or head 'to furnish the nece'ssaryforce to eifect the separation or scaling of the material.

What I claim is: i

1. The method of separating and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and mineral y products, which consists in directing a thin fiat jet of compressed fluid against the mate-.

. rial to be separated, at the point Where'the separation is to be effected, and separating the material solely by the action of the jet of compressed fluid.

2. The method of separating and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and mineral products, which consists in directing a. thin ,lfiat jet of compressed fluid against the edge 1 of the piece to be opened and separated, at

' 'is to be eflected, and opening and separating the point Where the opening andseparation the laminae or fibers solely by an entering jet of compressed fluid.

3. The method of separating and scaling laminated and-fibrous minerals and mineral the separation of the laminae grdducts, which consists in directin a thin at jet of compressed fluid against t e edge of the piece at the point Where the separation is to be effected, thereby opening up said edge, and directing theijet of compressed fluid between the separated edges to effect throughout their area. I

. 4. Apparatus for separating and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and mineral products, comprising an'implement having a thin pointed edge provided with a narrow slit therein, and having a passage for connection to a source of compressed fluid.

5.' Apparatus for separating and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and, mineral products, comprising an implement having a knife-like edge provided with a narrow slit therein, and having a passage connecting said slit with a source of compressed fluid.

6. Apparatus for separating and scaling laminated and fibrous minerals and mineral produrts, comprising an implement having a pointed knife-like edge provided with a narrow slit therein, and having a passage for connection to a source of compressed fluid.

In testimony whpreof, I have hereunto set my hand. y

CLEMENT L. PERKINS. Witnesses:

F. WINTER, G. Lnnnscnn. 

